SPLIT ROUND:
GAME FIVE for Canterbury • 2022/23
GAME FOUR for Otago Volts • 2022/23
Hagley Oval, Auckland
14 December 2022
Otago Volts beat Canterbury by five wickets
Star-studded Ford Trophy frontrunners Canterbury had a day to forget after the Otago Volts made great first use of a treacherous Hagley Oval.
Canterbury had named an even stronger squad than usual for this match, the ilk of BLACKCAPS Daryl Mitchell, Cam Fletcher (returning from injury for the first time this season, after breaking his finger on the New Zealand A tour of India), Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Henry Nicholls, Tom Latham all in the mix.
But it would not be their day.
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Latham top-scored with just 35 as the Volts rolled their hosts for 160 in 37.3 overs.
Unorthodox spinner Michael Rippon netted 4-32 the keep the pressure on after Jacob Duffy continued to impress with his bowling up front this summer.
Duffy returned an invaluable 3-34 and Matt Bacon chimed in with 2-27 as they did the early damage up top - Duffy dismissing first drop Daryl Mitchell for a golden duck.
Volts captain Hamish Rutherford then kicked back into timely form with an unbeaten 72* at the top in reply.
Henry did his best, quickly dismissing dangermen Dean Foxcroft and Glenn Phillips in his 2-33 off 10, and Ed Nuttall (2-30 off seven) and Henry Shipley also got amongst the wickets to give Canterbury some faint hope of defending their low total.
But fresh off a club century, Rutherford was having none of it.
He reached his half century in 62 balls and calmly steered the Volts home in just the 36th over for a five-wicket win - their second bonus point of the campaign.
Canterbury retained the competition lead, but had thrown away the chance to go clear - with the Stags and ND now on equal top points, and the Stags with a game in hand.
